The invention relates to a device for mounting chip-type electronic components on a substrate, comprising a table, a mounting head and means for positioning a substrate.
The increasing emphasis on miniaturization in the electronics industry has resulted in the development of plate-shaped, block-shaped and cylinder-shaped chip-type components devoid of connection wires, that is to say components without the conventional, comparatively long radial or axial connection wires.
These components without connection wires comprise contact portions which are provided on opposite faces or sides, such as capacitors, resistors, coils, or short connection studs, such as diodes and transistors. The components are arranged on a substrate having printed wiring, glue or tracks of solder paste on the component side thereof. The components have dimensions in the order of from 0.5 mm to several millimeters. In view of the small dimensions of the components and considering the possible dense pattern of tracks, the components must be accurately positioned with respect to the tracks on the substrate.
U.K. Patent Specification No. 1,477,027 discloses a device of the described kind in which the components are fed via tubes and apertures and are positioned on a slidable plate, situated over the substrate, in a position which corresponds to the desired position of the components on the substrate; subsequently, the plate is displaced while the components are retained, so that the components ultimately drop onto the substrate. Due to the uncontrolled dropping motion, there is a risk that the components start to tilt, rotate and/or land in an undesirable position on the substrate.